Luxury sword so-called funeral sword, of an Officer of the Bodyguards (or of the headquarters) of Jérôme Bonaparte, King of Westphalia, First Empire (c. 1807- 1810).
Entirely blackened and gilded steel.
Turkish-like guard, also called 'à la Marengo' style. Cross guard with inverted quillons, rectangular-shaped cross guard knot with two half-spherical hiltplates (the crossguard knot and the hiltplates have a sandy background and have a smooth lining stick. Cross-shaped pommel. Guard branch replaced by a small chain. Fluted ebony grip in the style of swords of officers of First Empire Headquarters. Total height of hilt: 17,3 cm; width: 16,1 cm. Thickness around the pommel: 3 cm. Curved blade. Gilded and blued on its first third. Signed at the ricasso “Coulaux frères Manufacture nationale de Klingenthal”. Length: 77,7 cm; width at ricasso: 3 cm; thickness at ricasso: 0,8 cm.
Weight of sword without its scabbard: 0,738 kg.
Scabbard with two mounts. The mounts have the same design as the cross guard.
Width: 4,3 cm; height: 5,15 cm. Round-shaped pitons; steel carrying rings: diameter: 3,3 cm (ring is 0,4 cm thick). Symmetrical drag: height: 7,8 cm; width: 5,05 cm; maximum thickness: 0,4 cm; minimum thickness: 0,3 cm. It ends up in an olive. Height: 0,8 cm; width: 1,2 cm; thickness: 1cm. The scabbard is entirely lined by two double-framing sticks: one of them is hollow with a sandy background, and the other one (on the outside) is smooth and gilded. Total length of scabbard is 82 cm; width at the throat of scabbard: 4,4 cm; thickness: 2,1 cm; weight: 0,602 kg.
Total length of weapon: 98 cm; weight: 1,340 kg.
Very good condition; steel colouring has been restored.
Consulate. First Empire.
This sword could have belonged to Pierre Chabert (1770-1839), officer in the guard of King Jérôme in 1809, then aide-de-camp until the end of the Empire. He became Major General on 4th September, 1810.
The collections of the museum of the Château de Versailles contain a portrait signed by François Kinson that represents Jérôme Bonaparte, King of Westphalia, and his wife. He is in dress uniform and carries a sword that looks very similar.
Origin: Hôtel Drouot, 12th March 2004, number 232 in the catalogue, expert: Bernard Croissy.
Reference :
0201072011